A combination of file photos show PML-N candidate for chief minister in Punjab Maryam Nawaz and PPP’s candidate for the custodian of Sindh Assembly Murad Ali Shah. The assemblies of Punjab and Sindh will elect chief ministers on Monday (today) who will lead the provinces for the next five years. The Punjab Assembly session proceedings are scheduled to start at 11am. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Maryam Nawaz and Sunni Ittehad Council’s Rana Aftab would be contesting the election for the chief minister whereas in Sindh PPP’s Murad Ali Shah will be up against Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) candidate Ali Khurshidi amid a boycott by the PTI and the JI. The Punjab Assembly comprises 327 seats. The N-league has claimed to have the support of 224 lawmakers while the SIC has claimed to have the support of 103 MPAs. A candidate has to take 186 votes to become Leader of the House. At least six buses have been arranged to bring lawmakers to the assembly, sources said. PML-N MPAs would be brought in four buses, lawmakers of PML-Q, PPP, IPP, and PML-Z in one bus while another bus has been reserved for women MPAs. For polling, the House would be divided into two sides: each for the respective candidate. Lawmakers in favour of their respective candidates would exit the gate on the speaker’s side. Bells would then ring to signal that voting had ended and members returned to their seats. The candidate with the majority of the votes would be declared the winner. The speaker would inform the governor about the swearing in ceremony after the election for the chief minister. The nomination papers of Maryam and Aftab were accepted on Sunday. Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan reviewed the papers and declared them valid after scrutiny. Meanwhile, MPAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Jamaat-e-Islami have announced that they would boycott the proceedings for the CM’s election. The polling for the Sindh CM would take place at 2pm on Monday (today), according to the schedule announced by Sindh Assembly Speaker Owais Qadir Shah. Ghulam Qadir Chandio, Saleh Shah and Naeem Kharal submitted the nomination papers to the assembly on behalf of Murad Ali Shah.
Sindh, Punjab to get new chief ministers today
